Not too long ago, professional race car driver Marlon Stockinger ripped through Clark International Speedway in a Radical SR3 race machine. He set the fastest lap time ever recorded on the said course, clocking in at one minute and 53 seconds.

If you haven’t heard of the UK-born company established in 1997, Radical has created amazing track-focused race cars that comply with with FIA safety standards. Powered by punchy, high-revving Suzuki Hayabusa engines nestled in performance-engineered lightweight chassis, these machines were made to conquer the track and are officially available in the country.

Despite the pandemic putting a kink on local motorsports, the passionate gentlemen behind Radical Cars Philippines (in partnership with Motul) recently managed to successfully organize a couple of exhibition races dubbed as the “Motul Radical Challenge,” in conjunction with other motorsport teams/brands at the Clark circuit for the third leg of this year’s Petron Philippine Motorsports Championship. At the end of the day, Radical made a crystal-clear point; offering the most exhilarating and safest track machines in the local market.

Joining the five-car grid was a mix of seasoned professionals (Antonio Brias and PartsPro’s former Formula 3 racer Tyson Sy) along with amateur drivers in their own Radical race cars. During the qualifying heat on September 25, Frias in his 226hp SR3 took pole position with a time of one minute and 58.264 seconds, while Sy hit one minute and 58.365 seconds in the less-powerful SR1, placing him in second.

During the exhibition races the next day, Sy’s experience eventually pulled him to win the top podium slot with Brias behind. Radical owner and Philippine Chinese Racing Club president Ron Hu took home his first trophy with a third-place finish in an SR3, his fastest lap time being one minute and 59.047 seconds. Hu has been a student of the Radical Racing Academy, led by instructor Ivan Carapiet.

During the event, visitors and potential clients who wanted a closer look at the Radical race cars were entertained by its Philippine motorsport director Marlon Stockinger. Since its launch in the country in 2019, it has managed to turn over a total of nine vehicles (five SR1 units and three SR3 units with another one due to arrive as we speak). Not bad considering the many challenges and restrictions brought about by the ongoing health crisis.

Enrique Hormillo, Radical’s Philippine marketing director, proudly shared prices for their current crop of world-class race cars. The 187hp SR1 retails for P4,500,000, while the faster SR3 goes for P6,500,000 (for further details, you may download the brochure here). The team maintains these race cars at Clark which makes it very convenient for their clientele.

In a chat with the brand’s local CEO Ricky Galang, he mentioned how Radical intends to elevate local motorsports to international stature. According to him, the beauty of these machines (apart from their blistering performance) is practicality. It’s an intelligent investment when it comes to honing your racing skills, whether you’re an enthusiast or serious about motorsports, and you don’t have to deal with the costly risks of racing your exotic sports car on the track.

Speaking from experience on the track with these race cars, Radical Cars Philippines is definitely onto something truly exciting. We can’t wait for both seasoned and aspiring Filipino racers to write a new chapter in the local circuit with these impressive machines, giving birth to the most elite type of (legitimate) motorsport our country has ever seen. Go Radical or go home.